For use in horizontally pivoted oven doors, hinges typically include a counterweight or recoil spring arrangement for supporting the weight of the door when opening, for instance in an equilibrium position, shortly before reaching the closing position of the door, and afterwards for holding the door closed. These arrangements avoid as far as possible large forces that would otherwise result from uncontrolled opening of the door.
Bench top toaster ovens are well suited for toasting and reheating tasks, but can also be used for baking and grilling. Being small in size such ovens are portable and can be accommodated in any kitchen, while also offering ease of use and cleaning. In toaster ovens there remains a need for a hinge which improves the course of motion when opening or closing a door, in particular within the end position ranges. However, the relatively complex hinge arrangements used on conventional ovens cannot be justified because the doors of toaster ovens are relatively lighter, and because they must achieve a substantially lower manufactured cost. In many toaster ovens a pair of tension-type coil springs is used to bias the door closed, and each spring, mounted as it is in the housing at either side of the door, requires significant space which compromises the ability to provide a more compact oven. It is an object of the present invention address the above need or more generally to provide an improved hinge for a horizontally pivoted door on a household appliance.